Psychic Limb - Queens

'Queens'
Psychic Limb
2011

Genre: Chaotic hardcore, metalcore, powerviolence, grindcore
For Fans Of: Column of Heaven, Converge, Full of Hell, Torch Runner

I really don't see enough stuff about these guys on the web, which is shame considering the top-quality music they've put out. Queens is a twelve track punch to head that'll floor you with it's combination of chaotic metalcore, grindcore and powerviolence.  There's noisy moments here that recall early 2000s Converge, cool, distorted effects laden vocals  and an intensity and speed that just doesn't let up. Literally, the only downside to this release is the fact that the songs are all untitled, so all the more reason to snag this and let it pummel you into the ground.

Queens

Marcel Duchamp - Contra Nosotros Mismos

'Contra Nosotros Mismos'
Marcel Duchamp
2006

'Pure punk energy'

Not to be confused with the French artist, Marcel Duchamp are a hardcore punk band from Chile. This here is 28 tracks of catchy, thrashy riffing with plenty of shout-alongs, with some great, urgent vocals to carry things along (think Dennis from Refused). While the band stick to some pretty formulaic stuff in terms, there's the occasional odd riff or guitar solo thrown in for good measure.

Rio Negro

Peste Noire - L'Ordure à l'état Pur

'L'Ordure à l'état Pur'

Peste Noire

2012

Genre/s: Black Metal, Folk Metal, NSBM?
For Fans Of: Taake, Valfunde, Autarcie

Right, Peste Noire are a bit of a a grey area to me. One one hand they make some great, innovative black metal - on the other hand they're rumored to be racist, and they do claim to be a nationalist band.

Politics aside, this album is an absolute must listen. Post-punk, folk, death metal, thrash metal and traditional black metal all blend together to create the soundtrack to some sort of corpse paint dominated carnival. There are so many odd little twists and turns on this album - folky breakdowns, singers imitating roosters, samples of wagons trundling along and a constant mish-mash of styles. While this is not a straight forward BM release, it does still bear the trademarks of one; the raw production and raspy shrieks and howls are an interesting contrast to the experimental elements on this album. This is one of the first black metal albums I listened to, and while it confused me a little, it also blew my mind with it's diversity and disregard  for genre norms. Highly recommended.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Casse, pêches, fractures et traditions
2. Cochon carotte et les sœurs crotte
3. J'avais rêvé du nord
4. Sale Famine von Valfoutre
5. La condi hu

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Burmese - A Mere Shadow And Reminiscence Of Humanity

'A Mere Shadow And Reminiscence Of Humanity'
Burmese
2003

'Filthy, filthy noise'

Burmese sound like they've just crawled out of the most dirty, filth encrusted sewer in hell. The bass heavy (and only) band mix some highly volatile noise rock/noisecore with doom riffs and menace to create an ungodly racket. With some odd vocals (grunts, growls, spoken word, manic warbling etc) and some pretty scary song titles,  Burmese have molded evil into an art form.

Broken Legs, Broken Face

Melvins - Lysol

'Lysol'

Melvins 

1992

Review by Brayden Bagnall

Genre/s: Doom, Drone Metal, Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal
For Fans Of: Earth, Sunn O))), Electric Wizard, Eyehategod

Album number 2 in (the) Melvins' golden three (the other two being Bullhead and Houdini), Lysol is an epic sonic trip into the realms of doom, sludge and drone metal. An unbroken 30 minute track, consisting of 6 different songs. The two highlights on Lysol are probably 'Hung Bunny' and 'Roman Bird Dog'. Hung Bunny could very well be one of the first drone metal songs ever created (same riff for about ten minutes, very, very slow) while Roman Bird Dog is actually the best doom metal song in existence (suck it Electric Wizard). Additionally you get two Alice Cooper covers, an excellent cover of Flipper's 'Sacrifice' and another Melvins' original. If you consider yourself a doom fan, or if you think Dopethrone is the best doom album out there, you need to sit right down and give Lysol a listen. Now.

TRACKLISTING:
Contained within the one track are:
1. Hung Bunny
2. Roman Bird Dog
3. Sacrifice (Flipper)
4. Second Coming (Alice Cooper)
5. The Ballad of Dwight Fry (Alice Cooper)
6. With Teeth

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Triac - Dead House Dreaming

'Dead House Dreaming'
Triac
2005

'Grindcore, with metalcore brawn'

After only hearing to Triac's later releases (i.e In The Blue Room, Always Meant to Hurt You etc etc), Dead House Dreaming was a very different listen. On this release (their first, and only full length to date), Triac come off as more of a chaotic metalcore band, with very slight nods to mathcore (think Ed Gein or Burnt By The Son). So while you still get the pure brute force of a grindcore release, you also have the energy of hardcore running through its veins . With some interesting stop/start and slow/fast dynamics, and a Bauhaus cover to boot, this is a worthy prequel to the raw, noisy grind chaos to come from these guys.

Footprint Of A Fire

HEALTH - Self Titled

'HEALTH'
HEALTH
2006

'Angular oddities in jarring bursts of noise'

The best way I could describe this band would be if Naked City, Animal Collective, Boredoms and Battles had some sort of hip, immaculately dressed baby who hung out in cafes and art galleries. Take that as you will and download this album. HEALTH blur the lines between structure and chaos, noise and music, listenable indie rock and full blown sound experimentation. Here lies within 11 tracks, spanning from twinkly melodies, electronica, Jesus Lizard-esque guitar riffing and atonal noise attacks. If you feel like being lured into a false sense of security, only to be ambushed by a sudden change of genre or direction, repeatedly, this is the album for you.

//M\\

IDYLLS - Farewell All Joy

'Farewell All Joy'
IDYLLS
2012

'Abrasive math-y goodness'

IDYLLS are another local band, and my favourite one at that. These guys combine mathcore, noise rock, screamo and grindcore into one odd little package. There's some amazing musicianship on Farewell All Joy, and you'll have a very hard time keeping up with all the weird tempo changes, stops and starts and crazy riffing. Vocally you'll be treated to screams and mid level hardcore shouts, which combined with the ever changing nature of the music makes for some interesting dynamics. The coolest thing about this album would probably have to be the awesome guitar tone - tinny, metallic and crisp, it's almost as if Steve Albini started a mathcore band. It'd be great to see these guys get some more recognition, so give it a listen and go check out their bandcamp.

Funerals In Queensland
Bandcamp

Stalaggh - Projekt Terrror

'Projekt Terrror'
Stalaggh
2007

Genre/s: Blackened Noise, Harsh Noise, Industrial
For Fans Of: Diagnose: Lebensgefahr, Gnaw Their Tongues, Throbbing Gristle, Затухание

Hey kids! Do you want to hear something that's positively fucked up? Do you want to murder your ears and/or soul?
Well, look no further than this release right here. Stalaggh are a group of unidentified black metal musicians who've basically managed to create the musical (I use that term very loosely) version of a nightmare. Imagine a 30 minute long track comprised harsh noise, some very raw (almost unrecognizable) black metal instrumentation, coupled with the screams of mental asylum patients. Yep, Stalaggh have found the key to unleashing the most terrifying music imaginable, and by having some truly anguished, damaged individuals doing the vocals, there's an air of authenticity to this album that makes it so much more compelling and disturbing. It almost feels like you shouldn't be listening to this, like somehow you're breaking a law or doing something natural or immoral - and if an album can provoke that sort of response, you know it's worth listening too.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Projekt Terror

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Corax - Self Titled

'Corax'
Corax
2012

'Hopelessness, dread and despair incarnate'

I have a love/hate relationship with doom. On one hand I enjoy the slowness and repetition off the riffs and the crushing heaviness of the music in general  and on the other the other, most doom bores me very, very quickly. While repetitious and drawn out,  Corax, have just the right amount of variation. With vocals alternating between deep, hoarse growls and high, black metal shrieks and dense, murky guitar tone, the two piece band from South Africa have a winning doom formula. If you're a fan of Dystopia's brand of nihilistic crusty sludge or if 40 minutes of utter despair in aural form sounds like your kind of thing, by all means, listen to this.

Invoke Them
Bandcamp

Brown Sugar - ...Sings Of Birds And Racism

'...Sings Of Birds And Racism'
Brown Sugar
2011

'Raucous punk for the masses'

 There's been quite a recent influx of bands playing minimal, 80s influenced hardcore, some good, some bad and some overwhelmingly mediocre. Brown Sugar are one such band that has taken to this style, and while they wear their influences on their sleeve, they've also made their own slight adjustments. Brown Sugar have an oh-so-slight rock and roll influence (the name says it all), and it's this added element of energy (and fun) that makes this release that much more interesting than the other 80s clones out there. Additionally, the band have thrown in some interesting experimental elements (there's a saxaphone on more than one occasion), as well as noisy, feedback drenched sections to add an abrasive edge to their energetic punk.

Funk Land

Burned Up, Bled Dry - Cloned Slaves...For Slaves

'Cloned Slaves...For Slaves'

Burned Up, Bled Dry

1998

'Criminally underrated'

From what I can tell, Burned Up, Bled Dry were (and still are) a widely overlooked band. These guys cranked out some awesome powerviolence, that was definitely influenced by neocrust/crust (think His Hero Is Gone's faster moments). There's a perfect balance of pure hardcore energy and grindcore fury, with just enough melody seeping in to keep things interesting (see Count On Yourself).

Broken Heart, Broken Mind

Slices - Still Cruising

'Still Cruising'
Slices
2012

'Feedback drenched aggression'

Slices play some nifty punk tunes with a very strong 80s influence, albeit with a slight twist. Taking the speed and ferocity of the faster 80s hardcore bands, and adding in the weirdness of latter era Black Flag and Flipper, Slices deliver some fried noise-rock gold.This is an Iron Lung Records release, so you know to expect some brilliant stuff.

Mustard

Pig Heart Transplant/The Endless Blockade - Split

'Split 7 Inch'
Pig Heart Transplant/The Endless Blockade
2011

'Dense, menacing industrial experimentation'

This is what splits should be - two bands, different enough to keep things interesting and varied, but similar enough to be able to share a record with each other. On one hand you have Pig Heart Transplant, an experimental noise/industrial band from the mind of Jon Kortland (Iron Lung's guitarist). On the other you have The Endless Blockade (RIP), a powerviolence band that were known to include sludgy and experimental songs in amongst their releases. Pig Heart Transplant's side is oppressively slow, drawn out and heavy industrial tinged doom, along with two more noise-oriented pieces. The Endless Blockade on the other hand bring the ruckus with a powerviolence/sludge rager and an industrial/power electronics track. This is a perfect release for those of you into The Endless Blockade's experimental stuff or any Iron Lung related side projects.

Your Curse

Manhunt - FYPM Demo

'FYPM Demo'
Manhunt
2013

'Angry music for angry people from Brisvegas'

Manhunt are a five piece hardcore band from Brisbane (Hey that's where I live), Australia. While it's nothing new or special, their slightly metallic, powerviolence influenced brand of hardcore is a lot of fun, and will have you bedroom moshing for sure.  Music aside, the fucking album cover is that dog holding the 'Fuck You Pay Me' sign, so you know this is the real deal.

Choke
Bandcamp

Parlamentarisk Sodomi - De Anarkistiske An(n)aler

'De Anarkistiske An(n)aler'
Parlamentarisk Sodomi
2012

Parlametarisk Sodomi is a one man political grindcore band, though you'll have a hard time believing that one guy can produce music of this calibre. There's some beautifully frantic guitar work here - verging on technical grindcore, and the drums are everything you'd expect on a grindcore, and more - every snare hit is pure bliss. Topped off with some clear, crisp production, there's basically nothing wrong with this top-notch grindcore release, except the crippling sense of inadequacy you'll get every time you remember that this is just one dude. Fuck.

Grind Your Mind

My Disco - Paradise

'Paradise'
My Disco
2008

'Angular and hypnotic'

Hailing from Australia, My Disco have opted to take a very minimal approach to music, with an emphasis on repetition. Blending math rock, post rock/punk and noise rock with a hint of experimentation to tie it all together, the three piece have developed a winning combination. Your typical My Disco will feature a simple bass line and drum beat, building up until the arrival of the wonderfully atonal, noisy blasts of guitar, as well as vocals that border on spoken word. If you're in the mood for some strange, hypnotic experimental rock, then this is the album for you.

Pair of Pear

Vvlad - Demo

'Demo'
Vvlad
2013

Genre/s: Raw Black Metal, Blackened Blues, Atmospheric Black Metal, Blackened Noise
For Fans Of: ????

According to their facebook, Vvlad are a 'One man cigarboxguitar black blues metal' band, and that seems to be a fairly fitting moniker. While they do dabble in blues (there is an amazing cover of 'Where Did You Sleep Last Night?'), Vvlad taverse the realms of blackened noise, atmospheric black metal and dark ambient. The lo-fi recording, coupled with the unique choice of instrumentation lend itself to a really dark, murky atmosphere that just sort of wafts in and out of your head with the greatest of ease. This demo, among heaps of other weird, cigarbox black metal curiosities are available for free on the Negromancy bandcamp.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Side A
2. Side B

Bandcamp

G.I.S.M - Detestation

'Detestation'
G.I.S.M
1984

'Punks is Hippies'

G.I.S.M are basically the go-to band for most people when you mention Japanese punk or hardcore. For a bunch of dudes who dressed like Motley Crue rejects, they played some really cool, mid-tempo hardcore tunes. On later releases they would start to experiment more with industrial and thrash metal, and you can start to see some of the metal influences creeping in on this one. The unique guitar tone, and hilariously gruff vocals on Detestation make for a slightly humorous listen, though it's anyone's guess as to whether it was intentional or not.

Endless Blockades For The Pussy Footer

Pastafasta - Self Titled

'PASTAFASTA'
Pastafasta
2010

'Chaotic hardcore at its best'

 Pastafasta are a Japanese mathcore/hardcore/grindcore/powerviolence/fastcore band, and boy do they churn out some chaotic, original and occasionally catchy tunes. Complete with enough noise experimentation and guitar wankery to make your brain implode, Pastafasta's self titled is a must-listen. There's a good chance you'll have no idea what's going on for at least 88% of the time, but just roll with it, because it's more than worth it.

Satanic